New York Giants 2024 Draft Preview: Best Receiver Fits

The Giants are all but certain to draft a wide receiver in this year's class. Might they even go for two, given the depth of the class and the need for special teams?

Author:
Patricia Traina
Publish date:
Apr 22, 2024

In this story:

New York Giants

NFL Draft

Darius Slayton

Rome Odunze

Malik Nabers

Ja'Lynn Polk

The New York Giants are going to draft a wide receiver this weekend. Whether that happens in the first round, where they’ll be in a position to get one of the “big three” (Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr., Washington’s Rome Odunze, and LSU’s Malik Nabers), or if they look to either trade back into the bottom of the first round or delay the decision until Day 2, a receiver from this vastly deep class is a given.

Besides the fact that the Giants ranked last in completions of 10 yards or more and tied for 25th in passes of 20 yards or more, general manager Joe Schoen even admitted that getting a legitimate No. 1 receiver would potentially do wonders for a passing offense that badly regressed last year—and not only because of the play of the quarterback and offensive line.

"It can really help you out, especially the way we're constructed now," Schoen told reporters at his pre-draft press conference last week.

"If you add another wide receiver, whether it's in the top 10 or later in the draft because of the depth of the class, I do think it gives you options, and it's going to help the offense in general. We have to score more.

"Adding, if it's a No. 1 receiver, whatever you want to call it, just a better-receiving weapon is going to help everybody."

That’s about as close of an admission to what they plan to do as we’ll get in advance from Schoen. And it’s no surprise. Although the Giant's receiver corps, as currently constructed with Darius Slayton, Wan’Dale Robinson, and Jalin Hyatt, isn’t the worst group in the league, just think of how much better they could be with a number one drawing double coverage and creating matchups nightmares that the other could potentially take advantage of.

The question then becomes not if but when. Will the Giants prioritize getting a quarterback over a receiver in the first round? Unless a quarterback they love falls to them, we don’t see that happening. We also need more convincing that the Giants might be looking to trade up in this draft class to get a quarterback.

In short, all signs point to a receiver as among the first three picks made by the Giants, a team that hasn’t had a No. 1 or a 1,000-yard receiver since Odell Beckham Jr in 2018. And while there will still be those who question who is going to throw the ball to the receiver, the Giants roster is at a place right now where their best approach toward becoming relevant again is to build up the foundation some more and then drop a quarterback (likely taken either on Day 2 or perhaps even in a trade up back into the first round), into the mix.

If the Giants draft a No. 1 receiver, where does that leave Darius Slayton?

Darius Slayton has been nothing but a consummate professional. When faced with the choice of taking a pay cut or being cut, he did the latter. And despite reportedly receiving a better offer in free agency from the Atlanta Falcons a year ago, Slayton opted to return to the Giants to continue his role in helping to build the franchise.

But Slayton has his limits. He’s been a no-show at the team’s off-season conditioning program, a program that while voluntary is still widely attended by players who see the value in building team chemistry with the new faces that come into the locker room.

Slayton’s absence is reportedly tied into his wanting a contract extension, his timing raising an eyebrow or two considering the Giants are all but certain to draft a receiver who not only might end up as the team’s yardage leader (an honor Slayton has earned in four of his last four seasons) but who might also become the primary focus in the passing game, thereby potentially reducing Slayton’s weekly workload.

But that hasn’t stopped the former Auburn receiver from wanting longer-term security, for which no one can blame him.

That said, the Giants don’t seem particularly interested in giving him that extension he wants now.

“I understand where he's coming from because I've had communication with his agent,” Schoen said last week. “We just signed the [current] deal a little over 12 months ago. It was a two-year deal.”

Slayton’s decision to skip the (again) VOLUNTARY program also doesn't affect the Giants' draft plans or feelings about the receiver.

“That doesn't change anything,” Schoen said. “These are voluntary workouts. There's been players since I've been here that haven't been here, and I understand that.

“I love Darius—I understand where he's coming from, and that's his prerogative to not be here. They are voluntary workouts, so that's understood.”

As is the likelihood that if the Giants draft a No. 1 receiver, he will become the main guy in the passing attack, further weakening Slayton’s quest for an extension with the only pro team he’s ever played for.

Prospects

Day 1: Rome Odunze (Washington)

We know that LSU’s Malik Nabers has been strongly linked to the Giants in the first round, and it’s not that we wouldn’t be happy with him. But we’d be happiest with Odunze for several reasons.

Odunze is prototypically sized at 6-foot-3, 212 pounds, and has good all-around athleticism. He's a high school sprinter who can open his stride and chew up yardage in the open field and has great leaping ability.

He is a contested catch specialist who uses his size and jumping ability to highpoint the ball over defenders. He also has great ball skills to locate and track the ball in the air, position himself to box out defenders at the catch point, and maximize receiving windows.

He is a team captain who has improved every year at Washington, and he'll need to continue growing as a receiver in the NFL. He'll need to run crisper, more nuanced routes to reach his true ceiling as a pro.

Did we also mention that we like the intangibles he offers, including how he handled himself at the combine in wanting to work to improve his numbers and help out while his peers were calling it a day?

Side note about Nabers. According to Albert Breer of SI.com, Nabers’ medicals revealed a shoulder issue that may require surgery after the 2024 season. Whether that factors into the Giants' thought process—and we would be stunned if it doesn’t—remains to be seen, but this is another reason we would be surprised if Nabers ended up as the Giants’ pick at six if he’s there.

Day 2: Ja’Lynn Polk (Washington)

Sticking with the Huskies, Polk was the second option behind Odunze at Washington, but many teams would have been happy to have him as their WR1. He has a solid (if unspectacular) blend of size and speed, with good route running and reliable hands.

Polk might not have the athletic traits to be a consistent big-play threat at the NFL level, and he benefited from Washington’s use of alignment to create free releases. However, depending on how a team wants to deploy his talents, he might be a good fit as a possession receiver from a flanker or “big slot” alignment in the pros.

Day 3: Johnny Wilson (Florida State)

Florida State’s Johnny Wilson has rare size for the position. Standing 6-foot-6 with 35-inch arms and a 37-inch vertical leap, Wilson has a catch radius that can best be described as a city zip code. Despite his size, he also has good bulk at 230 pounds but is a remarkably fluid athlete.

He doesn’t play up to his size and doesn’t appear quite sure how to fully utilize his rare traits. Wilson will likely be drafted relatively highly based purely on his uncommon athletic profile. He’ll get comparisons to Mike Evans of the Bucs, but he needs work before he can do more than scratch his upside.